Gluten Free Doesn't Have to be Boring

There are many members here who suffer with celiac disease as well as diabetes. Sometimes they seem to be hand in hand. The over use of wheat in our diets make carb cutting and gluten free living a bit of a challenge sometimes. Most ancient grains are gluten free and many of them are lower on the glycemic index. And while I may not suffer with the need to be gluten free, my finger joints certainly can tell when I have been eating more wheat.

*********************************************************************************Imagine you’ve just ordered your favorite dish at a Chinese restaurant. When your stir-fry arrives, it is served over a steaming, fragrant yellow grain, with no rice or noodles in sight. If rice and wheat hadn’t conquered the world, all of us would probably still be eating this tiny, tasty grain.

In fact, several lesser-known grains played important roles in ancient civilizations, in part because they were hardy, fast-growing, needed little water or care, and were incredibly nutritious.

Millet, the tiny yellow grain we usually reserve for birdseed, was once the primary grain of northern China. Recent research found evidence of its cultivation in China’s Yellow River Basin in 6,000 B.C. and suggests that several thousand years of substantial political and scientific development was made possible by its cultivation. Millet also was cultivated all over northern Europe, west Africa and India, and is still part of the healthy diet of the Hunza tribe, whose members live famously long lives in the Himalayas.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/whol...********************************************************************Millet is one ingredient of the famous Ezekiel breads and the thing that caught my attention is that it grows well with little care (that is my kind of gardening) and since I have tried to grow Quinoia with no success, I thought this might be on my "give it a try" list.

13 replies

I have been officially gluten free for about a month now. It is not as hard as I thought it would be and since the family is helping out it is much easier. I am finding I don't miss it and shredded veggies work as great substitutes for the "bed" for my protein. I am very happy with it so far.

I have been gluten free for 3 years as a way to deal with my digestive issues. I was always struggling with finding new recipes and snacks until I found a monthly delivery services that I promote at my site http://glutenfreefamily.net. It has really kept my family from getting bored with the same old recipes!

Wow cosmetics and hand lotions. Amazing! Yes I mostly buy fruits, veggies, and nuts. I avoid most big brand names because i'm boycotting Mansanto. And I avoid most processed foods. I keep it pretty basic and simple. Thank you for all the info. :-)

I have been trying to avoid Gluten because of the arthritis in my hands that came on me the same time as the diabetes. I've tried all kinds of natural remedies to ease the pain and inflammation. So far I have not had any notable results. I avoid processed foods and I buy Udi gluten free bread and Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats. What other foods have gluten in them besides rice, and wheat? Is there Gluten in Cheese? Is all Quinoia gluten free? I bought my first bag of it because it was labeled gluten free.

I don't think there is gluten in cheese, but you need to check if you buy shredded cheese, because the "non clumping" ingredients may contain gluten. That's why I only buy block cheese now and I check the ingredients. Wheat is hidden in so many things, you have to check everything.

Quinoia, millet, kamut, amaranth, and I think spelt are all gluten free. They are the ancient grains that are really more like eating seeds.
Rice is gluten free. It's not starch free, but it has no gluten. That is why Chex cereal has gluten free flavors, Rice and corn Chex are in their gluten free family.
Here is a website that lists the gluten free grains. http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/gluten-free-whole-grains

Rice doesn't have gluten in it. Brown rice is great! There is no gluten in most cheese, but avaoid cheeses with mold, like Blue Cheese, etc, since the mold is started on bread! Quinoa is gluten free, and they make a great gf quinoa pasta, too. Udi's breads are good, as are Rudi's. Ezekiiel bread is not all gluten free, it has to say GF on the label or it isn't. Don't be fooled, they usually put all the Ezekiel breads side by side, so be careful!Rye and Barley are also not gluten free, as is anything with Malt in it. So, no beer! Most sauces are not GF, since the roux is made with flour. I make my own roux's for sauces with GF flour. Most soup is not GF. Most cosmetics are not GF, as are many hand lotions and medicines. There are some great books out there that are helpful, and Apps to. I have a book I take groccery shopiing with me and it helps to tell me if something is GF or not-but since formulas change, you still have to read labels. GF shopping can be an experience. Shop the perimeter of the store first, where the fresh stuff is, and then do the aisles if you want to supplement!

True Ezekiel bread is gluten free because it uses beans and ancient grains. You have to find a good recipe for it though. I have one that a friend of mine makes and it actually tasted really good. I don't have a mill to grind my own beans (yet) to make it. He grows his own sugar cane to sweeten it and every thing. He's quite remarkable. He's my inspiration when it comes to gardening. He grows everything!

I have Celiac disease, and meals certainly can be boring! There is lots to eat when you cook at home, and fresh non-processed stuff and baking your own bread is wonderful-the whole house smells great! However, eating out is a chore, and even though there are gluten free menus now, either the food is pretty limited, or awful, and you do run the chance of cross-contamination! For some of us, even a crumb or two leads to days of sickness. I find that I eat alot of salads if we eat out-and they are all the same and very boring. It is one thing to want to be GF because you have some symptoms that may be helped by eating that way, but for those of us who need it to live, it can be very boring-there is little adventure in being GF to live day after day. It is especially difficult when you work all day, and have to commute! There is little time for good cooking most days. Lately I eat Chex GF cereal with almond milk, and that does it for me.I really miss lots of the foods I used to be able to eat, but I don't miss the sick feeling I always got.I cannot understand why people think being GF is so wonderful if you don't have to be-it is extremely expensive and not wonderful. I think a better choice would be just to eat healthfully all the time. There are many foods that are good and healthy and not GF and the variety is amazing!

I am sorry that it is so hard. I know just one person who has it, and it's a challenge. But to be honest, gluten is not what our bodies are made to digest and that is why it causes so many issues with so many of us to varying degrees of discomfort. Processing foods and opening wide to the world has brought us many many foods to chose from. It was not always that way, and we ate what was local. There is a lot to be said for that.There are so many fruits and veggies out there to fill the gaps on GF meals. I don't know if dairy is an issue?